"CONGRATULATIONS!"
Cheers and confetti surrounded her from all sides, familiar smiling faces taking up every square inch of her small apartment. Kristoff walked out of the kitchen showing off the huge chocolate cake, three unremarkable candles sitting at its center.
Once Kristoff rested the cake safely on the small table, he pulled Anna into a hefty hug as he chuckled away. "Glad Weselton finally gave you the promotion you deserve!"
Anna nodded but didn't say anything.
Married to the job, that's how people usually described Anna. The truth is, most people probably wish they could get the kind of devotion out of a partner that Anna gave to her job. Her home was only a place to leave her clothes and take showers and the occasional nap, but most of her sleeping, eating... living was done in that office. And her weekends, when those glass doors were locked up tight, she spent volunteering at a local orphanage to read and cook for the children that adored her so.
"I'm so proud of you Anna."
Anna pulled out of the embrace, never even bothering to return it in the slightest. Anna was angry. How dare she!?
"I don't care! Where were you when I needed you before!? Who the hell are you to just step your way back into my life!?" Anna could see the tears forming in the other woman's eyes but she couldn't bring herself to care. All the fury. All the anger she's been bottling up for so long just spewed from her lips unfiltered. "Proud of me? Fuck you! You don't get that right!"
Before the frail looking blonde could respond, Anna turned on her heels, slamming the front door and leaving her home behind. She only ever returned once more to pick up her clothes, meeting the house as empty as it usually was.
Anna was lost in her own head and it wasn't until she felt a pair of hands guiding her to sit did she remember the people around her. Whose was it? She wasn't sure.
As voices came together in a horrendous rendition, Anna looked down at the words written across the cake in green gel. Oh, today's my birthday too. Way to kill two birds with one stone. How old am I again?
Her brows furrowed as she thought back. It's been 10 years since… So I'm 29.
Ten years…
Anna choked up a bit as the song finally came to an end. The shuddering breath that escaped her extinguished the small flames on the candlesticks.
The rest of the party was a blur. A whirlwind of cheering, congratulations, party games, and then.. emptiness. Everyone was gone. The strawberry-blonde looked around her, her body sinking into the soft cushions of her sofa.
Anna looked up at her ceiling, her mind drifting back to ten years prior before she shook it off. She wouldn't delve that deep without the aid of alcohol. The woman got up, deciding to test her empty liquor cabinet theory.
Anna sighed. Her theory was right. The only thing that was left was half a bottle of cheap wine.
It would have to do.
She walked back to the sofa, picking up her phone as she pulled the bottle of red wine to her lips. Her fingers dialed off muscle memory alone. It was time for her annual tradition. She waited for the sound of the inevitable voicemail recording.
"You've reached Elsa Arrens. Unfortunately, I can't take your call right now but if you leave a message after the beep I'll be sure to get back to you."
Anna chuckled, resting down her bottle. She remembered how much she hated that dull voice recording growing up, especially with how often she heard it.
Now it was the only thing tethering her to sanity. She was still sane right? Paying that phone bill every month would beg to differ.
"Hey sis!" Anna became so animated it was if the woman was right there in front of her. No, that's not quite right. As animated as she wish she was when the woman was right in front of her. "Ten years, can you believe it?" Anna gave a wet laugh.
"I have my own place now. It was awkward staying with Kris after we broke up but he's still a sweetheart of a best friend you know. And guess what! I made it! In ten years I've gone from Trainee Assistant Junior whatever, to Vice President Els! Who would've guessed it? Well, I guess, you.. Obviously." The image of hastily written notes on scrap paper being balled up and tossed away forced its way into her head. Everyday they said the same thing anyway. 'I love you. I'm proud of you. Do well today Anna. -Love Elsa'. Oh how she wished she was as acquainted with her sister's voice as she was with her penmanship.
Anna beat back the thoughts as best she could but the tears were already spilling. "I know I say this every time but, I'm so sorry. If I wasn't such a brat… You did the best you could for me Elsa, and I love you so much for it…" Anna was struggling now. "Stupid me couldn't appreciate how hard you worked so we could afford rent and food after mom and dad died. Selfish me always took away the few minutes of rest you had between three different jobs to complain and fight every time because I couldn't handle being home alone so much. Stupid, selfish, BRATTY FUCKING ME-" Anna paused, forcing herself to stop yelling into the phone before continuing. "-told amazing selfless wonderful you to fuck off."
The redhead's body shuddered violently against cushions, the tears bursting through now. "I still can't believe I yelled at you for missing the graduation when you were right there. Kristoff had to tell me later that he saw you slip out just at the end of my valedictorian speech. You lost one of your fucking jobs just to be there for me and I didn't even notice! Even after finding all that out I waited two more fucking years to finally come see you! If I had just come earlier…"
Her mind conjured up images of her frail sister looking even frailer, machines attached to her from all sides, sitting there staring blankly at a wall. Waiting for someone that would never show. "I can't believe you were there for six months… suffering… alone.." her voice came out brokenly. "You fought so hard for someone that never deserved you. I think I understand now how you felt that you couldn't tell me those things from your notes in person. Only thing is, I was just too shitty to say I love you too, and to say I was proud of the way you sacrificed for me growing up. I couldn't even make it in time to stop you from being sprinkled god knows where!"
Anna chuckled a mirthless laugh. "I'm such a fucked up sister."
There was a long pause, silence impregnating the room.
"I know I'm being so selfish but please Els, one more time, just tell me... are you still proud of me?"